Arsenal can take a lot of positives from their season so far. They sit in fourth place currently, after their impressive derby day win against Tottenham Hotspur.

The appointment of Unai Emery has served them well. A number of the struggling Arsenal players are beginning to blossom, the main two being Alex Iwobi and Rob Holding. However, the signings Emery has made have also impressed. 

Torreira is Emery's best signing

Of the five players brought in over the summer, Lucas Torreira has stood out above the rest. It took him a while to start his first match with the Gunners but since then Emery hasn't looked back.

Of his last four appearances, the Uruguayan midfielder has amounted three man of the match awards. That's quite a feat considering he only joined in the summer. 

He fixes the hole which was left unfixed by Arsene Wenger. Arsenal needed a midfielder who could come in and help out the defence. That's exactly what Torreira has done. 

He makes Xhaka flourish

For too long, Arsenal relied on Granit Xhaka to carry out the defensive duties. Watching the Swiss midfielder at Borussia Monchengladbach, it was clear to see that defending wasn't his strength. But still, the expectation was given to him and he was heavily criticised for not carrying out the task well. 

Now that Torreira has come in, Xhaka is free to excel in the role which suits him most. He is now Arsenal's main dictator of play, often orchestrating the passes in the centre of the park. This has greatly improved his confidence while also giving his attackers a helping hand. 

This could be Arsenal's core in the future

Xhaka is aged 26, whereas Torreira is 22, meaning are by no means old as far as midfielders are concerned. Should they continue to enjoy life under Emery, then Arsenal could be sorted in the midfield for some time. 

Aaron Ramsey will probably leave at the end of the season but Arsenal needn't worry. Emery appears to be hindering towards a midfield duo as opposed to a trio. 

Next up is Manchester United in midweek, which is another chance for Xhaka and Torreira to prove their worth.

The former picked up the man of the match award against Tottenham, let's see if Xhaka can replicate this at Old Trafford.

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